JOB DESCRIPTION

Nursing assistants and orderlies help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Duties Nursing assistants, sometimes called nursing aides, provide basic care and help with activities of daily living. They typically do the following: * Clean and bathe patients or residents * Help patients use the toilet and dress * Turn, reposition, and transfer patients between beds and wheelchairs * Listen to and record patients health concerns and report that information to nurses * Measure patients vital signs, such as blood pressure and temperature * Serve meals and help patients eat Some nursing assistants may also dispense medication, depending on their training level and the state in which they work. In nursing homes, assistants are often the principal caregivers. They have more contact with residents than other members of the staff. Because some residents stay in a nursing home for months or years, assistants may develop close relationships with their patients. Orderlies may do some of the same tasks as nursing assistants, although they do not usually provide healthcare services. They typically do the following: * Transport patients, such as taking a hospital patient to an operating room * Clean equipment and facilities Nursing assistants and orderlies work as part of a healthcare team under the supervision of licensed practical or licensed vocational nursesand registered nurses.